Work-holding table for carving-machines



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. R. POTTER. WORK HOLDING TABLE FOR GARVING MACHINES. No. 428,351. Patented May 20, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK. R. POTTER, OF NEWV YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALLEN E. MAYNARD, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

WORK-HOLDING TABLE FOR CARVlNG-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 428,351, dated May 20, 1890.

Application filed $eptember 18, 1889. Serial No. 324,304. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK. R. POTTER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved WVork-Holdin g Table for Carving-Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a work holding table designed more especially for use on carving-machines, and has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient table of this character which will support work of different lengths and widths, or work curved upward or downward orto either side, and withoutthe use of blocks or plates commonly employed to block up work on carving-machine tables of ordinary construction, and whereby much valuable time of the operator is saved and the work is done in a more satisfactory manner.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the work-holding table, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a wood-carving machine to which myimproved work-holding table is applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the work-holding table, partly in section. Fig. 3 is an end -view thereof, and Fig. at is a detail longitudinal sectional View of one of the table side bars and attached screw-shaft box or bearing.

I will first particularly describe the work holding table with more special reference to Figs. 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, and then I will explain its use with reference to Fig. l of the drawings.

The work-holding table is made with a substantial frame consisting of two opposite side bars A A, which are rigidly connected to cross bars or plates B 13, located near opposite ends of the side bars, to leave the table open at the center to accommodate curved or crooked pieces of work. .Each of the side bars A A is shown provided with a -shaped slot at, ranging its Whole length and opening at and along the top of the bar. Into these slots are fitted the heads of bolts 0, which have threaded stems passing upward through the bar-slots and through adjustable boxes or bearings D E, which may slide along the tops of the side bars A, while the loosened bolts 0 slip along in the bar-slots. In the boxes or bearings D E, thus adj ustably supported 011 the side bars A A, are held front and rear and preferably parallel screw-shafts F F, which are preferably fitted by reduced smooth end parts f f into the boxes D D on one of the side bars A, and set-screws G G, threaded into the boxes, provide for clamping the shafts so that they cannot turn axially in the boxes. The other ends of the screw-shafts are threaded into screw-tapped holes in the boxes E E on the opposite side bar A of the frame. WVith this construction, when the set-screws G are tightened on the screw-shafts and the bolts 0 are tightened on the boxes D E the shafts will be secured or held immovable on the table-frame against strains from any direction; but when the box-bolts O are loosened theshafts may be shifted independently backward or forward on the table, so as to be nearer together or farther apart as the size or nature of the work to be clamped may require. Onto these screw-shafts F F are fitted pairs of workclamping collars H H, made, preferably, of cast-brass. I show three pairs of these collars on each screw-shaft; but as many may be used as there are pieces of work to be carved in conformity with a pattern secured by and between the center pairs of collars on the shafts. For instance, with three pairs of collars on each shaft the pattern will be held by the two center pairs of collars, and one piece of work will be held ateach side of the pattern by the outer pairs of collars. The collars are provided with squared or polygonal outer head portions h, 'on which may be used the same wrench by which the nuts of the bolts 0 are operated. It is obvious that the pairs of clamping-collars may be shifted or turned to any positions along their respective screw-shafts as the shape of the work may require, and that by removing the nuts of the bolts 0 holding the screwthreaded boxes E E, and by loosening the bolt-s C of the opposite boxes D D to allow the screw-shafts to be lifted at one end the boxes E may be run or turned off the adjacent ends of the shafts to allow any number of work-clamping collars H to be taken from or put upon the shafts at the pleasure of the operator.

One of the side bars A of the table-frame is provided with a V-rail I, which runs in a corresponding groove in the main frame or bed of the carving-machine to assure accurate sliding movement of the entire table, and the other side bar A is preferably provided with a metal slide-bar J, which moves over a flat surface on the machine-bed.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1. of the drawings, it will be seen that the workholding table-frame A B is adapted to slide truly backward and forward on the bed K of the carving-machine. A pattern L, which in this instance is the back corner post or bar of a chair, is clamped by and between the two center pairs of collars H on the screw-shafts F F, which are adjusted in the table-frame quite closely together to hold the pattern and the two chair-posts M M to the best advantage, the latter posts being clamped by and between the two outer pairs of collars on the screw-shafts. It will be noticed that the openframe construction of the work-holdin g table allows the downwardly-curved front and rear parts of the pattern and posts L M to pass down below the tops of the frame side bars A A, or as far as may be required to clamp the pattern and posts to allow the stylus or follower-pin N on the carving-machine cutterhead to conform most easily to the carved design Z on the head of the pattern and allow this design to be reproduced to the best advantage on the blocks or enlargements m m on the heads of the two chair-posts M M by the operation of the rotating carving tools or bits 0 O, which, being held to the cutter-head of the carving-machine, must accurately follow the movements of the stylus or follower, pin N in a manner well understood by those conversantwith this class of machinery. hen the two pieces of work M M have been carved in conformity with the pattern L, it requires but a few minutes time to loosen the collars H, which clamp the work, and remove it and substitute two more pieces, which will be clamped directly by the collars, and the carving of them may at once proceed. It will now be understood that almost any-shaped pieces of work of any usual length may be securely and quickly clamped by the screw-shaft collars H, whether the work be bowed upward or downward, or bent laterally, or bent both ways, whether the bends come between or outside of the screw-shafts, and whether the work be of about the s' idth or have different widths at opposite ends, and all without the aid of loose blocks or plates usually employed with the slatted top table commonly used on machines of this class, and with which dogging bolts are used to secure the work, which wastes much valuable time of the operator.

It is quite unnecessary to give a detailed description of the carving-machine shown. I state, however, that the carving bits or cutters O O are rotated by flexible shafts P P,

which are driven by overhead shaft, pulley, and belt-gearing, and that the cutter-head, which supports the stylus or follower N and the cutters, is sustained from the machineframe by a combination of universally-jointed links which allow the stylus and cutters to be moved up or down and to either side, or to be inclined in every direction out of the perpendicular. The work-holding table may, however, be used with any other style of carving or cutting machine than the one shown in the drawings, and would be useful on machines of an entirely different nature, as will readily be understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A work-holding table adapted for reciprocation on the bed of a carving or other machine and made with a support, two screwshafts held thereto, and adjustable workclamping collars on said shafts, substantially asherein set forth 2. A work-holding table made with a support, boxes orbearings adjustable along said support, screw-shafts held in said boxes, and adjustable work clamping collars on the shafts, substantially as herein set forth.

8. A work-holding table adapted for reciprocation on the bed of a carving or other machine and made with a supporting-frame open at the center to give room for bent or curved work, two screw-shafts held to the frame, and adjustable workclamping collars on the shafts, substantially as herein set forth.

4. A work-holding table made with a supporting-frame open at the center to give room for bent or curved work, boxes or bearings adjustable along the frame, screw-shafts held in said boxes, and adjustable work-clamping collars on the shafts, substantially as herein set forth.

5. The combination, in a work-holding table, of a frame or support having lengthwise slots, boxes held adjustably to the support by bolts entering said slots, screw-shafts in the boxes, and adjustable work-clamping collars on the shafts, substantially as herein set forth.

6. The combination, in a work-holding table, of a frame or support, boxes D E, held thereto, screw-shafts F F, fitted in the boxes D and fitted to screw-tapped holes in the boxes E, and clamping devices at the boxes IIO D, preventing rotation of the screw-shafts F Fin the boxes, and adjustable work-clamptherein, substantially as herein set forth. ing collars H on the shafts, substantially as 7. The combination, in a work-holding tadescribed, for the purposes set forth. ble, of an open frame comprising side bars I FRANK. R. POTTER. 5 A A, slotted at a a, and cross-bars B B, ad- Witnesses:

justable boxes D E on the bars AA, bolts 0, ALLEN E. MAYNARD, clamping the boxes to the frame, screw-shafts EDGAR M. GEER. 

